Jessa Meets Her Match: Chapters 20 and 21 — Story Conclusion

Greetings all!

Here are Chapters 20 and 21. With these two chapters, Jessa Meets Her Match concludes. It has been quite a journey. I see that I posted the first chapter in May of 2021 — 18 months ago. Well, I hope everyone had fun with this. I know I did.

Thank you most sincerely for reading!

Cheers,
Blair P. Clavel

 

Jessa Meets Her Match

Chapter 20: Time Together

The stretcher was again moving. Nick was next to me, walking, his phone pressed tightly to his ear. Before he had a chance to tell me what he’d learned from Dirk, they’d wheeled me into the ER. A row of blue curtains created a semblance of privacy even though I could hear people talking.

A couple of men in scrubs, orderlies or nurses, rolled me one way and then the other, finally getting the stiff, protective vest off. I was trying to be a cooperative patient, but it hurt, being manipulated so. I tried to keep quiet, but a few moans and groans did escape my lips. After removing my bikini top, they covered me with a sheet and left. Nick and I were again alone. I was a little more comfortable as I was now on an actual bed, but it still hurt to breathe. Attempting to ignore the pain, I let my eyes drift closed.

~ ~ ~

Sometime later, I was in a room. A doctor was there. Looking down, I saw that the sheet was at my waist. The doctor was examining my chest. He placed his hand on me, over my heart. I winced. Then his stethoscope was against my skin. It was cold, made of metal. He had me take a few breaths, deep breaths. Breathing hurt, but not as it had before.

Glancing down, I saw that my nipples were as long as I’d ever seen them, obscenely so – pointing straight up at the ceiling. I sat there worrying, hoping he knew that it was because the air was so cold – and his stethoscope – surely he did. I continued to stare at my nipples. Thanks to all the sunlight they’d absorbed that summer, they’d grown deep dusty-rose in color, but at that moment, they looked strawberry pink under the bright, unforgiving hospital lights.

The doctor listened to my heart, but then he was gone. “Nick, what did he say?” I asked, gripping the sheet to my neck, mostly for warmth but also due to embarrassment.

“That they’re going to take some x-rays.”

“Where’s Catherine? I need Catherine,” I reminded him.

“Dirk’s coming. He’s bringing her. You should rest. At least try … close your eyes.”

“Nick, did they give me something?” I asked, feeling a bit funny.

He looked at my IV bag. “I think so. Saw a nurse injecting something into one of those tubes. Probably for pain. How are you feeling?”

I nodded, closing my eyes.

A short time later, there was a bit of rolling and again some jostling. “Where are you taking me?” I asked. There were faces, but no one looked familiar.

“A few x-rays of your chest, several views,” someone replied.

Still later, Nick and I were alone. Dirk came in. “How is she?” he asked, looking at me, deep concern evident in his eyes.

I started moving, pushing the sheet down. I had to get it off. I kicked my legs, but that didn’t do much; the hospital people had only stripped me to the waist. “Nick help. My shorts. Get them off. Please! Everything off.”

Nick unzipped my denim cutoffs, working them down my legs as I attempted to lift my hips. Dirk came closer. He took the shorts from Nick near my knees, sliding them gently off my feet as Nick grasped the waistband of my bikini bottoms and pulled. A moment later, I kicked out of them.

Catherine appeared. I was beyond glad. She did look as if she’d been crying. She leaned over the bed and we embraced. “You saved me,” I said, speaking into her neck, my voice soft but choked with emotion. It was a first for me. I’d never come so close to dying.

“I thought you were dead,” Cathers replied.

“I know. I’m sorry. I changed my mind and went back for a vest. I guess you didn’t see.”

“I didn’t,” she said, her voice cracking.

“I kept my promise,” I mumbled quietly, as much to myself as to her.

“Thank you,” she whispered, looking deep into my moist eyes.

It was such an amazing moment, the four of us together, all of us hugging. And then it hit me – the reason why Catherine was still in limbo. “Cathers! You’re my Guardian Angel … that’s why you’re still here. Now everything makes sense!”

It was such a satisfying thought. Catherine had saved me. All along, it had been her destiny. Had it not been for her, I’d be dead.

But then another thought occurred to me – a horrifying thought. I’d been shot by a man on top of a building. I’d blacked out. “Nick, was it just me or were there others … other people shot?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so. As a matter of fact, the Governor was also transported. He’s here as well.”

I gasped. “Oh, no!”

“One bullet that was probably intended for him was stopped by the podium. Splinters went everywhere, but one hit his arm … his forearm.”

“Just the Governor?”

“No, two others. In all … four with bullet wounds. There’s a man in critical condition. Not someone I know. He happened to be in front of the stage … not all that far from your parents.”

Again I gasped. “But they’re alright?”

“I assume so. Not among the injured. At least, not as far as I’ve heard.”

“Catherine,” I asked, “….were you right? The gunman … the guy you were talking about … the killer’s visitor?”

She nodded. Dirk spoke. “Jessa, she saved your life, but not just yours. Many others as well, I’m sure. That guy was loaded for bear.”

“Exactly,” said Nick. “The shooter. He’s been talking. He’s also here, by the way. Same hospital. Several gunshot wounds. Sergeant Truman and his partner, Officer Nasir, dropped him on the library roof, bringing a quick end to the mayhem.”

My mouth fell open. “Really? Here?”

Nick nodded. “He doesn’t seem to care about his Miranda Rights. Says he was planning to kill everyone on stage. As Catherine suspected, the serial killer is his father.”

I smiled at her. “I should have believed you. Why didn’t I believe you?”

“Because you’re stubborn,” she shot back.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“And get this,” said Nick. “Dirk is getting all the credit. The media … already clamoring for interviews. He’s going to be world-famous … just like you.”

“I wanted to share the credit with Nick,” Dirk interjected. “He won’t let me. But I guess he’s right. He can’t very well say that he had his suspicions … asked you to wear a protective vest …but allowed the Governor to go on stage without one.”

“But Dirk can get away with that,” said Nick. “We’ll say that he asked you to put a vest on, and then he brought his concerns to me. I listened to them, but didn’t find them especially convincing. However, I introduced him to Sergeant Truman and asked him to investigate. All that’s pretty much true. Truman and Nasir will back me up.

“So, here’s the story … so that we’re all on the same page… Whatever Catherine and Dirk did, we say that Dirk did of his own accord. He saw the man peeking off the roof, and he led Truman and his partner Nasir to him. ‘Nuff said.”

“Works for me,” I said, rolling my eyes. I doubted it would be long before my cover was completely blown. My family knew all about Cathers. Who had Mason told?

From there, things got even crazier. Visitors started flooding to the hospital. They were mostly being turned away. Security, however, did let family and close friends in. They were all in a waiting room somewhere down the hall – my parents, grandma, brother as well as Kim, and Brent – even Brenda Sowers.

At that point, the doctor returned – back to report on the results of my x-rays.

“Thank God you were wearing the vest, Ms. Wilson,” he said. Everyone had been saying that.

“Jessa,” I reminded him.

“Jessa,” he said, nodding. “May I have another look at your contusion? I’d like to see how extensive the bruising has gotten … and where it is in relation to what I see on the x-rays.” He reached for the sheet covering my chest.

“Absolutely,” I said, allowing him to lower it, exposing my upper body. I held it tight to my waist, hoping to prevent him from discovering that I was fully nude. Well, I was wearing a candy necklace, so maybe ‘fully nude’ was a slight exaggeration. I saw the doctor eyeing it, but he didn’t ask about it.

He brushed his fingertips lightly over the discolored area, toward the center of my chest starting near my left nipple. He glanced up, looking into my eyes. “Exactly over your heart.” Returning his attention to my chest, he continued, “I expect this is quite sore.”

I nodded. He shifted his hand over and felt the same exact area on my right breast. Removing his hand, he reached down and lifted the sheet, indicating that he’d seen what he needed to. I took it from him, shifting it back up so that I was again decent.

“As I said earlier, we’re dealing with blunt force trauma to the chest wall. Without the vest, your wound would have been life-threatening. Likely there would have been no reason to bring you to the hospital. This is hardly that, but it’s still an injury … classified as a chest wall contusion.

“A bullet fired from a rifle … fifteen hundred to two thousand miles per hour. Fortunately, no penetration, but all that energy has to go somewhere. I’ve seen the impact compared to what a bat might inflict. A bat swung by a major league player. Imagine being hit in the chest by a baseball bat.”

For some reason, I was having no difficulty picturing exactly what that would be like. The amazing thing, in my mind, was that I had landed on the stage – not been knocked entirely off it.

He continued, “The trauma is localized. Two ribs are broken, but the fractures are not as severe as I’ve seen. A couple of ribs are dislocated from the sternum. In short, you’re a very lucky woman. An injury of this sort will heal on its own, but you’re going to need to take it easy. Avoid exertional activities … to feel better sooner. You’ll receive discharge instructions that review your after care. The pain will persist … for days, but probably longer. I’ll write a prescription for some medication, a controlled substance, PRN.”

“PRN?” I asked.

“Doctor speak for, ‘as needed.’ The nurse will explain.”

And then he asked for an autograph. I laughed, which hurt. That served as a reminder that I did have an injury – not that I’d forgotten. But even so, it was much better than being dead.

Nick took a photo of him next to my bedside, offering to send him a copy. I kept the sheet up – not real high, but well above my nipples. And then, with a parting smile, he was gone.

Half an hour later, Nick was allowed to wheel me out – in a wheelchair. I was sure I could walk. As a matter of fact, I wanted to walk. They wouldn’t allow it.

My reception in the waiting room was exceedingly warm. Everyone talked more or less like Catherine had – that they had been sure I was a goner. And there were tears – plenty of them. They’d all had the shock of their lives – my parents and grandmother, in particular. The hugs were heartfelt, albeit gentle. Everyone knew not to squeeze the lady with the broken ribs.

It all took much longer than I might have liked. I was ready to get out of the hospital. There was just so much that needed to be said – and so many questions.

Exiting the hospital, we were accosted by several groups of media. But then the police rolled in. I’d never seen anything like it – a line of cars and motorcycles as long as the eye could see.

It was almost as if one of their own had been shot.

“The police love you. They absolutely adore you. Each and every one of them!” Kim whispered in my ear. “You were on that stage fighting for their children, the children of those they’ve lost … and you get shot. You took a bullet in uniform. If you weren’t one of them before, you most certainly are now.”

“Wait,” I said, turning to Nick. “We need to go back. The Governor … how is he doing? I want to visit him.”

Nick paused, considering my request. “He’s going to be fine … that’s what they’re saying. But let’s catch up with him later. A lot of effort has gone into arranging this police escort. Let’s not keep them waiting.”

Deciding that he was right, and not really wanting to go back into the hospital, I stood up, lifting myself slowly from the wheelchair. Because it was cool inside, I’d kept the hospital gown around my shoulders. At that point, I let it slide down. As it was such a hot day, I’d decided it was okay to venture out wearing just my bikini, my cutoffs over the thong bottom.

With no practical way of hiding the growing bruise on my left boob, I walked toward the line of policemen. Nick kept a hand on my upper arm, acting as if he was planning to catch me should I start to fall. I made my way toward the nearest group of motorcycle cops. Upon reaching them, I smiled and started shaking hands.

The connection I felt was beyond anything I might have imagined. Words seemed unnecessary. I’d gone most of my life not knowing a single policeman – at least not on a first-name basis – and suddenly I was one of them. These were my people!

“Where to, Ms. Wilson?” an officer holding open a car door asked.

“Jessa. Please. Just Jessa.”

He nodded.

“I’m actually feeling pretty good,” I said, realizing it might be something they’d given me – something that would wear off. “Is it still the Fourth of July?” I knew it was, but I asked anyway.

“That it is,” he said with a smile.

“Then, let’s celebrate! They gave me a sheet full of restrictions, but partying wasn’t on the list.”

“Well, Stonefield itself is a ghost town, but last I heard, the lake is the place to be. The Mayor refused to cancel the annual barbeque. He said he didn’t want ‘the bad guys to win.’

I smiled. The party at the lake on the outskirts of town had always been my favorite. I probably should have reconsidered. Rolling up to a city-wide picnic in a police escort – hardly the way to slip in unnoticed.

Stepping out of the car, I was swarmed by what can only be described as a mob – the media leading the charge. The police did a fair job of keeping some airspace around me, but I couldn’t avoid answering a few questions.

Why had I been wearing the vest? (Dirk Landers had asked me to.)

Had I been so concerned for my safety that I thought I needed it? (No, I never would have gone on stage if that had been the case.)

How was I feeling? (Pretty good considering that less than four hours had elapsed since I’d been shot in the chest.)

Were my breasts actually bulletproof? (So far, so good.)

Were Officer Harris and I going to be getting married? (I hadn’t yet decided if I was going to propose or not.) A few of my answers resulted in laughter – that one in particular.

Based on all the photos that were being taken of me, I should have foreseen what happened next. The bruise on my chest – just far enough from my nipple to not be obscured by my flag bikini top – became “The Shot Seen ‘Round the World.” As a matter of fact, that was the headline on a website that Nick showed me later that day.

He also informed me that several TV stations had been filming the Governor’s speech such that high-quality video of the incident from several angles was available. Because of its graphic nature, it wasn’t everywhere, but viewers who wanted to see it could declare they were over eighteen and opt in. I wasn’t sure what I thought of people watching me get shot, but as with most things that had happened to me that summer, I hadn’t been consulted.

One of the officers present referred to the black and blue splotch on my boob as a, ‘Badge of Honor.’ I didn’t know if I’d call it that, but I had made the choice not to hide it. As I saw it, it was merely a bruise, albeit a painful one. And it answered questions – hopefully saving me the effort.

“Brenda’s going to love this,” Kim said, leaning close. “More publicity than she might have ever imagined.”

I looked at her. She was assisting the officers in keeping the media at bay. “Oh, oops … I don’t have the sash on.”

“It doesn’t matter. That would probably seem inappropriate anyway … as if we’re trying to exploit a tragedy for the sake of publicity.” She paused, but then continued, “You’re doing great.”

“But the awards as well as the auction you had planned … none of that happened.” Suddenly I realized that Nick’s shirt now had a bullet hole in it. Had Kim given that any thought? And what about the vest that had saved my life? Might she want to auction it off, too?

“Who cares? Most importantly, you’re fine. No one was killed. And, surprisingly, donations are pouring it. There will be a lot of candy necklace certificates for you to autograph.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” That was the honest truth. “Fortunately, signing my name wasn’t on my list of restrictions, so I’m good to go.”

That comment seemed to please Kim. The charity’s mission was her top priority in life, it seemed.

And then I noticed something. A short distance away, Dirk was dealing with a similarly obnoxious media mob. Fortunately, Nick had gone over to be by his side. I had Kim for moral support, and Dirk had Nick – something else I was going to have to thank him for. I imagined that Catherine was probably there as well, likely coaching him through his answers to whatever the reporters were throwing his way. She was quite talented when it came to thinking on her feet.

I quickly realized that the party at the lake wasn’t working out the way I’d hoped. And it wasn’t just the media to blame. It happened to be a city park, so no adult beverages were allowed. Another factor for me, actually the number one factor by far, was that I couldn’t strip off. Catherine – I needed time with her – badly, in fact. I didn’t have a lot on, but even so, I hated what I was wearing. It was keeping me from being able to see and talk to Catherine.

Pushing through the crowd, I made my way over to Nick. “I need to get out of these clothes,” I said softly into his ear. “Take me somewhere where I can be naked.” I was so glad I hadn’t needed any bandaging. As I imagined it, a medical dressing would be enough to prevent me from being ‘with’ Catherine.

Nick smiled. There was a twinkle in his eye. He, of course, knew why I felt the need to strip.

Whispering among ourselves, we came up with a plan. One by one or in small groups, we’d slip away. As soon as possible, we’d reconvene at Bates Pond. There, far away from the prying eyes of the media and the crowd, we’d be able to enjoy the day; we’d party to our hearts’ content. We’d drink whatever we wanted, and I’d be able to skip and go naked – so that Catherine would be a part of the festivities. She deserved to be. Not only had she saved the day, but she’d saved lives. She’d saved my life – others as well. And Bates Pond was perfect — more or less completely unknown to the masses. Sure, the grass was tall, but the meadow there was big – a bright open area. And Bates Pond itself was large – plenty of room for those who felt like cooling off in the water.

Everything worked quite well. Nick, with the assistance of a number of officers, managed to slip me away without resorting to hiding me in a trunk. That option had come up in our whispered discussions, but Nick had been against it – surprisingly not for my sake. He’d been concerned about what the media would make of it if someone got a photo of me inside a trunk.

I stripped off in the car on the way to Grandma’s house, making Nick smile. He never seemed to mind me taking off my clothes.

As I’d hoped, Catherine was there. We’d always been close, but suddenly the bond between us felt exponentially stronger. I’d never imagined that it had been her destiny to save my life. I’d made it extremely difficult for her, and yet she’d still come through for me. I looked at her, attempting to communicate the depth of my love with my eyes. I could tell that her feelings were every bit as strong. How would I ever survive if it was now my destiny to have to live without her? I tried to block those thoughts from my mind, but it was difficult.

Parking in front of the house, I climbed out. Mazzie was there, but as usual, she kept her distance. She still had not gone inside the house – not once that summer. I slipped inside to put my shorts and bikini – all that I’d had on – in my room. I wouldn’t be needing them. I’d be spending time with Catherine. After taking a quick pee, I was on my way to Bates Pond with Catherine and Nick.

The party was already in full swing when we got there, but it was small, mostly just my inner circle. Well, Mason was there with his girlfriend, Keira, but I couldn’t blame him. I’d have done the same thing. She had a couple of her girlfriends with her, but I was cool with that. Seeing that I was naked, Keira and her friends took off their tops. Mason’s smile spread all the way across his face as he watched them bare their boobies to the midday sun.

A short time later, Bixler showed up. Nick hadn’t mentioned that he was going to invite him, but I was glad he had. Bix was ‘inner circle.’ He knew about Cathers. As he wasn’t yet driving, he had a junior officer with him. “Jessa, this is Peter,” he said. I saw his last name on his badge, but I made no attempt to remember it.

“Where’s Sergeant Truman? I mean, Clay?” I asked the two of them. “Shouldn’t he be here? He’s the guy who brought an end to the shooting, right?” Peter was looking me up and down, an expression of astonishment frozen on his face.

“Oh, he’ll be here. His partner as well,” Bix replied.

I chuckled. The party was growing. By the time I had popped the lid on my third spritzer, Mason’s group numbered about twenty, at least half of them topless girls, some of them quite cute. I’d never seen my little brother so happy.

“You’re killin’ it, dude,” I told him.

“Thanks to you,” he said, his eyes straying down to my chest.

“Mason!” I scolded, lifting an arm and placing it gently across my tender chest. With the spritzer in my right hand, I had just my left available for this purpose.

“What? I was looking at your bruise.”

“It’s okay,” I said, but I kept my arm where it was.

“Besides, why would you ever look at your sister when Keira’s here … and topless, right?” I said, my eyes finding her in the group. She did have beautiful boobs, and they were quite a bit larger than my C-cups.

“Right!” he said a little too enthusiastically for my taste. A split second later, he was gone, bringing to an end our awkward encounter.

A short time later, Catherine and I managed to slip off alone. Neither of us brought it up, but it truly felt as if the end of our time together might be at hand. She and I followed the small path that went around the pond, taking our sweet time. We didn’t talk much – there was little more that needed to be said. Somewhere along the way, she started whistling. I joined in – the theme song from The Andy Griffith Show. It was too perfect – the trail we were following brought to mind the opening scene – Sheriff Taylor and Opie walking along with their fishing poles.

When we got back, the party was probably three times as large as it had been – not a hundred people, but approaching that number. I decided that I wasn’t going to let my nudity get to me – those I didn’t know were friends of friends – and the media wasn’t there.

To my surprise, Brent had even talked Kim out of her bikini top. “Nice rack!” I exclaimed, obnoxiously making eye contact with her nipples. Reaching my hand up, I high-fived Brent. He was smiling every bit as much as she was blushing.

“Don’t do that to her,” Cathers interjected. “This has to be very hard for her. I’m sure a number of these officers were her co-workers until quite recently.”

“What did she say?” Kim asked, noticing that I was listening to Catherine.

“She doesn’t like me teasing you.”

“Thanks, Cathers,” Kim said. “You should listen to her.” I nodded. I was alive because I had listened to her.

“You should take your bottoms off, too,” I said. “Let your hoo-ha out to breathe, girl! You’ll never know what a little sunshine and fresh air will do for your love life until you give it a try.”

The look on Brent’s face was off the charts – shock and delight by the gallon.

“Jessa!” Cathers chastised, but I didn’t care. She didn’t seem to appreciate the nuances of my relationship with Kim. Kim had been hoping to get me naked on stage, and I wasn’t any more a nudist than she was. I’d certainly had more practice, a lot more, but it never would have happened if I hadn’t had a good reason.

“At least give it a thought,” I continued. “This is the perfect opportunity to show off your pussy.” With that, I turned and walked away. I didn’t think she’d take them off, but I’d stirred the pot nicely.

Catherine and I headed toward the water. Curiously, there were fewer people in that direction. It was hot, so I found myself considering a swim.

Strolling along, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, prepared to sign an autograph or appear in yet another selfie.

A woman stood there, a brunette with long hair. She was dressed in a dark-blue, one-piece bathing suit, but she had a pair of shorts on as well. In my mind, she was wearing them because of how little fabric her suit contained below her navel. I of course had much less – none at all.

“Hi Jessa. I’m Amber,” she said in a friendly tone. I was drawing a blank.

“She must be Nick’s ex,” Catherine offered.

“Oh, Nick’s ex-wife,” I said.

“How did you know?”

“Just a lucky guess,” I said, shooting an appreciative smile Catherine’s direction.

She nodded. “So tell me, how is Nick these days?”

I didn’t feel like talking about him – not behind his back. “You and Nick don’t talk?” I asked.

“Not for a long time.”

I smiled as I started to turn. I couldn’t think of a reason to continue the conversation.

“Before you go…” she said.

I looked back at her and smiled, raising my eyebrows invitingly.

“Things didn’t work out for us, but I wish you both the best.”

“Thanks.” Deciding that I was curious as to what she attributed their divorce, I decided to ask. “What happened? Weren’t you married for ten years?”

“We lived together for ten, but were only married for seven.”

I nodded.

“Nick hasn’t told you? You haven’t asked?”

“I guess I didn’t. All I can remember him volunteering was that you liked him when you were drunk … otherwise, not so much.”

She laughed. It was an awkward laugh. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Sober Amber versus Drunk Amber, right? It’s gotten back to me that he’s been saying that.”

“It’s not true?”

“I can assume the two of you are intimate, right?”

I shrugged but nodded, noticing that her eyes were glued to my crotch. I felt an urge to cover up, but didn’t. I wanted everyone, Nick’s ex included, to believe that I was comfortable with my nudity. I imagined that might keep me from having to talk about it.

“Well, then … I guess I can say this. Something I would never bring up with anyone else…”

I waited. If she wanted to talk about sleeping with Nick, I decided that I could listen. I wouldn’t have to reply.

“Nick and I … well … I loved the man, I really did, but at times he was so needy.”

“Needy?”

She laughed. “You don’t know what I’m talking about? Really?”

I shook my head.

“Well, then … maybe he’s learned his lesson.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Okay then,” she said, a look of seriousness on her face. “As I’m sure you know, Nick can be very demanding when it comes to blowjobs.”

“Go on,” I said, not wanting to tip my hand.

“I’d give in and suck his cock – swallowing and everything – on special occasions. His birthday. But I could only ever manage to do it if I was drunk. So that’s where that started … the idea that I only liked him if I’d been drinking. So, whenever Nick opened a bottle of wine, I knew exactly what he was thinking. Always jonesing for a blowjob, that man. He’d try and deny it, but I knew.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This woman thought that she was doing her husband a favor if she gave him a blowjob on his birthday. Did that mean that Nick had only been the recipient of one blowjob a year?

“And a few times he grabbed my head.” I saw lightning bolts shoot from her eyes. “That I would not stand for! I wouldn’t let him touch me, not at all, not during a blow job. A mouth is not a pussy. I’m sure you know that.”

“Nice speaking with you,” I said, not wanting to tell her just how different my experience had been. Nick had refused more blowjobs than he’d ever accepted from me, and he’d always been very docile if his penis was in my mouth.

“Nick’s coming,” I heard Catherine say.

Fighting the urge to comment on what might have been an unintended pun, I looked around. “Well, speak of the devil,” I said to him as he approached.

“I see you two have met,” he said, joining us. He looked relaxed, not at all concerned to find Amber and I together.

“We have. Just comparing notes,” I said, suddenly wanting him to worry a bit about what we’d been discussing.

“She’s very pretty,” Amber said, changing the subject. “And she shaves. Your dream girl, right?”

That seemed underhanded, bringing my pussy into the conversation. Standing nude in front of her had been bad enough.

“I’ll leave you two to it,” I said, continuing in the direction of the shore. “I’m sure you have a lot to catch up on.”

A minute later, Catherine and I were wading. The temperature of the pond was ideal, but I was being careful to not go in too deep. I didn’t have a replacement candy necklace, so I didn’t want to get the one I was wearing wet.

“That was sure awkward,” I chuckled.

“What a bitch. Poor Nick,” Catherine remarked.

“Watch your tongue, young lady,” I said, channeling my mother.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “It’s just that she seems so selfish. How did Nick manage all those years with that woman? I’ll bet she never shaved her pussy.”

“Probably not,” I agreed. “And in her mind, Nick was the selfish one.”

My eyes met Catherine’s. “You never shaved, right?”

“Girls didn’t do that in the eighties.”

“I know, but if Dirk had wanted you to? Would you have? At least given it a try?”

“Absolutely.”

I smiled at her. In my mind, very few women, or men for that matter, would refuse. Whenever a lover, wanting to try something new, had told me that thinking about something made them ‘hot,’ I’d always done my best to embrace whatever it was.

Noticing that Mason and his contingent had set up a volleyball net and had a game going, Catherine and I stepped out of the pond and headed in that direction. We had to stop and pose in a few photos along the way, which was even more awkward given my bruise, but we got there eventually. Standing there admiring all the lovely boobies, I noticed that I was in good company – there wasn’t a single top in sight. The crowd along the sidelines was growing by the minute.

Many of the young ladies seemed to be enjoying the attention quite a bit while doing their best to hide that fact from the appreciative audience. Being young Vermont women, I imagined that it might be the first time topless for a number of them. Their crisp tan lines seemed to support that hypothesis.

A number of the guys mounted an effort to get me to play. I decided that it was because of my celebrity status, not wanting to believe that it had anything to do with the fact that I was the only one naked. (Well – Catherine – but they couldn’t see her.)

I would have loved to play, but pointing at the bruise in the middle of my chest, I begged off. “The doctor told me to take it easy,” I explained. “I picked up a couple of cracked ribs earlier today.”

I could tell they understood, but there was a fair amount of moaning and groaning. A minute later, the game was back in full swing. I stood there mesmerized. So many bouncing boobies on display – all sizes and shapes. And, as far as I could tell, only one pair of bolt-ons. I’d never been a fan of implants. In my mind, even the tiniest titties were pretty.

Enjoying the nearly naked girls’ bodies, I found myself wondering why I’d disengaged so completely from my lesbian leanings.

“What are you thinking about?” Catherine asked at precisely that moment.

Not wanting anyone to see me talking to a ghost, I turned and walked off in a less crowded direction. “I told you I was a vagitarian in college, right?”

“You mean vegetarian.”

I laughed. “Another new term for you, I’m guessing.” I repeated the word for her slowly.

“Oh,” she said, looking down and blushing. I loved the idea that a ghost’s cheeks could get red. But it made sense. I’d also seen tears in her eyes on more than one occasion. It was a nice reminder – even though she didn’t have a body, she was still human.

“Don’t worry. You’re safe.” I laughed. “I’ve got Nick. So now I’m a happy cishet.”

“A what?”

“Another new word, I suppose.”

“You’re funny,” she said. “Remember the time we were out here. It was dark and you were drunk.”

“And you wouldn’t let me go swimming.”

“That’s the first time I saved your life. I’ve always been your Guardian Angel. Even before you could see me … when you were little … I was watching over you.”

“Hmm…” I said to myself, considering the implications.

“And if I’m called home … if I ‘walk toward the light’ so to speak … I’ll always be there for you. I’m your Guardian Angel … life-long.”

“Aww… I like that,” I said. The next thing I knew, we were hugging.

A moment later, glancing up, I noticed a middle-aged couple – people I didn’t know. They were watching us – watching me, to be precise. They had the most puzzled looks on their faces.

“Sorry, too much to drink,” I said, stumbling off in a new direction. A bit of hugging wasn’t enough to blow my cover, but I did need to be careful.

“Are they following?” I asked Cathers.

“Just with their eyes,” she chuckled.

A short time later, the barbeques arrived. Nick and a few of his fellow officers helped set them up in a long row. There were also ice chests and cardboard boxes of food being unloaded from a number of SUVs that had managed to get through to the meadow that surrounded Bates Pond. Within a short amount of time, hot dogs and hamburgers were being spread on the grills.

“I don’t get it, Nick,” I said. “All this food. How is this even possible?”

“It’s all very hush-hush,” he replied. “But the Mayor … he’s having it diverted out here. This was all intended for the party at the lake. They are splitting it up. Rumor has it that there are now more people here than there.”

I looked around. Part of me didn’t want to believe it, but I was now at a party with many hundreds of attendees – and I was naked – butt naked. Surely sensing what I was thinking, Nick asked, “How does it feel … to be the only one naked?”

I wasn’t about to let such concerns ruin things for me. “I’m not the only one,” I stated, smiling at Cathers.

Nick nodded, giving me a hug. “As it should be. I’m so happy for the two of you. It’s been one hell of a summer.”

“One hell of a summer!” I agreed.

At that moment I caught sight of a familiar face. She was at some distance, appearing lost, but not alone. She and her companion looked out of place – as if they didn’t know anyone.

“Someone I need to say hello to,” I told Nick as I turned to walk toward them. Nick didn’t follow. He was busy setting up tables for condiments, but Catherine came with me. “It’s Carmen,” I told her. She and her ‘friend’ were holding hands.

“Carmen!” I exclaimed, walking up to her. “I’m so glad you found your way out here.”

She smiled, accepting my hug. She was wearing the same orange bikini, the one with the
bandeau top. She’d had it on the day she’d saved me from the dogs.

A concerned look replaced her smile. “Oh my God! My heart stopped, literally stopped, when that first shot rang out … and then you fell. I’ve never experienced such pain, such despair. I’m so glad you are going to be alright.” She was studying the bruise on my chest out of the corner of an eye.

“Me, too,” I admitted. It was a conversation I was growing weary of, but everyone seemed to need to express their feelings about the morning’s events. I knew my role; I had to hear them out.

First chance I got, I glanced over at the young lady Carmen had been holding hands with. “Care to introduce me?” I asked, sidestepping to put a little distance between us and a small group that couldn’t peel their eyes off of me. Unlike Carmen, the other girl was topless. She was wearing just the bottom half of a bikini – a boyshorts style – so form-fitting that it left little to the imagination.

“This is Tavia,” she replied, reaching for the girl’s hand.

“So nice to meet you,” I said, feeling pleased that my gaydar had not been misfiring the day I’d met Carmen. I studied Tavia. To my eye, she was baby butch, clearly still discovering herself. She wasn’t as hardcore as Dixie had been, but she was definitely on the spectrum.

“You remind me of someone I dated in college,” I said, trying my best to quickly put the two of them at ease. “We lived together for two years. Dixie was her name … a similar hairstyle, short on the back and sides, with a quiff much like yours.”

Glancing over, I saw that Carmen’s eyes were sparkling.

“Take a walk with us?” I asked. “With me, I mean,” I corrected instantly.

They agreed, and Catherine and I headed off on another lap around the pond, the two young cuties in tow.

Once we were quite alone, I turned to resume the conversation. I felt oddly drawn to the young couple. They reminded me so much of Dixie and I. Dixie had enjoyed tanning topless. She’d always tried to persuade me to do the same, but I’d been too shy – even when it had been just the two of us.

Glancing – almost staring – at Tavia’s pert breasts, I remarked, “You’ve got me missing my college sweetheart. Dixie was so lovely. Her nipples, pierced horizontally just like yours.”

Tavia nodded, glancing down at her chest.

“She didn’t have as many tattoos,” I continued, “…but by now she probably does. That girl, she loved her ink.” I knew I was walking a fine line. I was doing my best to be friendly, but I didn’t want to come off as being creepy – the older, lecherous lesbian.

As I watched, Tavia reached up behind Carmen. A second later, I could tell that her fingers were intertwined in the strings that held the strapless bandeau bikini top up on Carmen’s chest.

“Please, no,” Carmen said under her breath, her face angled down in Tavia’s direction. “No one wants to see breasts this small.”

I smiled. “Not true at all. Little boobies can be every bit as beautiful as larger ones.”

Carmen was still looking down, but now there was a hint of a smile on her lips. “Okay,” she said, with the slightest of nods.

Tavia pulled and Carmen’s top shifted to the side. A moment later, it slipped down. The loveliest, puffiest nipples I had seen in ages came into view. As I’d suspected, they weren’t pierced.

“Absolutely gorgeous,” I remarked quietly, as if to myself.

Carmen’s eyes met mine. “You’re just saying that.” She looked as if she were fighting her inner demons to keep from lifting her hands up to cover herself. Her cheeks were crimson.

“Just my honest opinion,” I countered. “I’ve always been attracted to the feminine form. Dating Nick now, but even so…” I stopped mid-sentence. Hearing my story wasn’t going to help Carmen feel more comfortable.

Once Carmen’s top was safely in the swim bag she seemed to be sharing with Tavia, one with rainbow handles, Tavia reached over and pushed Carmen’s long, dirty-blonde hair back behind her shoulders. On one side, it had been hiding a breast.

“Thank you,” Carmen said. She seemed to be doing her best to embrace the notion of being topless.

We again started walking. Even though it was Carmen’s little breasts that I had commented on, it was Tavia’s pert B-cup tits that were clouding my ability to think. I so badly wanted to feel her barbell pierced nipples between my lips. It would bring back memories, lovely memories of hour upon hour spent in Dixie’s warm embrace.

I knew they were inclinations I could not act upon, and yet I was again reminded of all that I had given up when I had turned my back on my lesbian leanings. I wondered if Catherine might be reading my thoughts. At times, I was completely deserving of the low opinion my mother had of me, and it didn’t help one bit that I’d spent the afternoon naked in a crowd and what that was doing to my libido.

As we approached the other side of the pond, I saw Carmen eyeing the bag that held her top. Believing that it would help her with her insecurities, I decided that she should remain topless. I took her hand and led her over to where Nick was standing so that he could meet my two young friends. Another woman might have been jealous watching how his eyes lit up as he studied the two teens in just their bikini bottoms – Tavia in her tight, black boyshorts and Carmen in her orange, high-on-the-hip thong.

As we talked, my eyes strayed down to Tavia’s crotch. I was wondering if her clitoral hood was pierced. Even though her black bottoms were tight, I could discern nothing. In my mind’s eye, I imagined that she was sporting a vertically-mounted barbell down there – probably the twin of what she had through her nipples.

The burgers and hot dogs were coming off the grill, so we got in line. A short time later, we were all seated cross-legged on towels eating our dinners off of paper plates.

“Shouldn’t you sit a little more ladylike?” Catherine asked, playfully nudging my shoulder.

After looking down to consider my gaping slit, I smiled at her, purposefully not adjusting how I was sitting. I’d been naked for hours. I wasn’t going to start worrying about who was seeing what, especially not now, not in front of Nick and my newest friends. And besides, it wasn’t as bad as it might have been. While making my way through the food line, I’d discreetly wiped my arousal onto a napkin, depositing it in a conveniently located garbage can. It wouldn’t last long, but at that moment, I wasn’t as wet as I‘d been.

After dinner, there was a bit of a stir off in the direction of where everyone was parked. Nick got up to investigate. He returned a short time later with Governor Adams and his wife, Tracy.

“Now she’s naked,” Tracy quipped.

I smiled, studying what looked more or less like a cast on the Governor’s arm. I so badly wanted to tell him about Cathers – how she’d saved both of our lives – and yet, once again, I held my tongue. Not telling him the truth in that moment was merely the continuation of an old lie, and yet it was a lie nonetheless. It was an untruth that had become a part of who I was. I felt as if I could no longer justify it, and yet it was a cycle I felt powerless to break.

Tracy and Butch Adams took turns leaning in and hugging me – very gently. They’d clearly heard about my broken ribs.

“What was all the commotion back there?” I asked, pointing.

“The media, bless their hearts, had a few questions for me,” the Governor replied with a smile.

“The media?” I asked, suddenly realizing how strange it was that so many people had found their way out to Bates Pond – but no reporters.

“This is private property,” Nick explained. “We’re using that as an excuse to keep them back.”

“We?”

“Law enforcement,” he explained.

“For me?” I asked.

He shrugged, but then smiled, giving a nod.

It felt so strange, being naked at such a large gathering, but the absence of TV cameras and microphones did help. There were, of course, lots of cell phones around, but pictures of me were already everywhere, and more than anything, I wanted to spend the day with Catherine. We had a lot to celebrate.

After hearing the details of the Governor’s wound, and all that had been involved in the extraction of the bullet, Tracy got my attention. She had something that she wanted to talk about. Oddly enough, it was March 20th – the astrological significance of the birthday Catherine and I shared. We both listened intently.

“March 20th is the final day of the final sign of the zodiac,” Tracy began. “It’s known as the Pisces-Aries Cusp … the cusp of rebirth. Aries is the first sign, the start of another astrological year.”

I nodded. It was something I’d heard before. Also, something to which I’d never paid much attention.

“Pisces is symbolized by two fish. They are swimming in opposite directions, representing the constant division of Pisces’ attention … between fantasy and reality. Throughout the year, Pisces assimilates all the positive and negative energy, all the joy but also all the heartache, of all the other signs combined. By March 20th, all this comes to a head.”

I looked over at Catherine, wondering if this was making any more sense to her than it was to me. “Thank you, Tracy,” I said dismissively. I’d always been a skeptic when it came to astrology.

“Let’s hear her out,” Catherine interjected.

Not needing any encouragement, Tracy continued, “Because of all that has been learned, Pisces is the most psychic, but also the most compassionate of the twelve signs. And those born on the cusp … well, they are dreamers … peaceful visionaries who enjoy quiet contemplation. But not just that … for that is only the Pisces half. Those born on the cusp … they are decidedly different … two distinct personalities at war. So, dreamers, but also resourceful and impulsive.”

“That’s you, not me,” Catherine exclaimed. “You’re the impulsive one.”

Tracy was still talking. “Aries is the knight who charges into battle, someone who doesn’t feel, rarely thinks. A person who just acts.”

“Totally you!” Catherine continued.

I glanced over and saw that Nick was listening as well.

“So, what’s the takeaway from all this?” I asked Tracy.

She smiled. “That’s just it,” she said. “You, and Catherine Marshall before you. Being born on the cusp, you have these two opposing forces within you … the contemplative side of Pisces struggling against the Aries urge to go to war.”

“That describes Jessa to a T,” Nick exclaimed. I gave him a contemplative elbow to the ribs, purposefully tapping into both sides of my personality.

Just after sunset, but well before it got dark, the fireworks started. The big stuff was at quite a distance – very little of it visible over the tree line. Even though the mayor had sent a portion of the food our way, the fireworks show had remained at the lake. I didn’t mind. I was enjoying myself. A few bonfires had sprung up, and Nick, Cathers and I, along with our close friends, congregated around one of them.

Still later, there was music, soft and beautiful. Because of the lack of electricity, the band was without amplifiers of any sort. Similarly, the only light came from the fires, but that was perfect as far as I was concerned. I’d been naked for hours, so the ‘cover’ of darkness added incrementally to my comfort level. That wasn’t the full story – the buzz I’d attained by drinking so much after we’d first arrived had largely worn off and it had been hours since I’d last taken a painkiller. What remained of the intoxicating cocktail made for a mellow, dream-like state. I was happy, peaceful, contented – all that.

I found myself dancing with Catherine. We weren’t alone. Nick, Dirk, Kim and Brent were there as well – dancing, but not especially energetically. It was Carmen and Tavia – their youthful zeal – that made it extraordinarily fun. They laughed and strutted as if they were having the time of their lives. A lot of tops had gone back on at sunset, but the two of the had chosen to remain in just their bikini bottoms. Their energy was contagious – to Catherine and me, at least.

Even though their tight little bodies had my mind going places my tongue hadn’t been in a few years, I was managing to behave myself.

About an hour later, Nick, who’d been off duty all day, informed me that his shift started at midnight; he was going to have to head to the station. I was sad about that, but I decided to walk him to our house as that’s where his Jeep was. Catherine accompanied me – so that I wouldn’t have to walk back alone.

It was such a peaceful walk, the noise of the revelry fading as we made our way across the meadow and into the forest. It was a walk I’d taken many times, but generally during daylight hours. I walked between Nick and Catherine, holding both of their hands.

“I love you,” I said aloud, turning to Nick. I loved them both, but it was Nick that I was talking to at that moment.

“And I love you … dearly,” he replied.

A second later, he had his arms around me. And then we were kissing. Smoldering kisses just about hot enough to catch my face on fire. I was up on my toes, my naked body melting into his. It was a wonderful moment – the two of us giving ourselves over to passion in the moonlit forest. But there were three of us. I liked that Catherine was there, even though I knew Nick might not be conscious of her presence.

“It had been my intent to conjure up a romantic moment … and then to say, ‘I love you,’” I told him, after breaking the kiss to catch my breath. “But then, flat on my back, I realized that my time might be up. So, I’m sorry … sorry about how that went down … how I blurted it out.”

“Such a scary moment! You were down. Clearly his primary target. And the gunfire hadn’t stopped.”

“Let’s not talk about that,” I said, sprinkling his cheeks and neck with kisses. “I want you to know that it was only this morning that I knew … waking up next to you. Suddenly, I just knew. So it’s not like I had been holding out on you.”

For the next minute, Nick and I were too busy kissing to talk. After the hours spent naked as well as all the time spent lusting after Carmen and her hot girlfriend, my libido was through the roof. Glancing over, I noticed that Catherine had turned. She was still close, but not watching – seemingly allowing us a measure of privacy.

“Nick, your wife, Amber?” I asked, suddenly thinking back to my conversation with her.

“Whatever she said, forget it.”

“Did she really only give you blowjobs on your birthday? Frankly, that’s mean.”

“She mentioned that?”

“I hope they were at least exceptional,” I said, reaching one hand between us and fondling him through his trousers.

“Hardly. She hated blow jobs. Everything about them. But I get it. No way would I want a you-know-what in my mouth.”

“Is that why you’ve been turning down my efforts?”

I felt him shrug. A second later, I dropped to my knees in front of him, affectionately nuzzling into his crotch with my face.

“Jessa, please,” he pleaded, reaching his fingers into my armpits to lift me back to my feet. I heard Catherine chuckle. Glancing over, I saw that she was on her knees next to me.

“Oh, but I want to,” I cooed in my most amorous voice. My hands gripping his buns, I massaged his stiffening member with my face – my lips as well as both cheeks fully participating in the joy of the moment.

“I know exactly what you’re thinking,” Catherine whispered.

That made me smile – Catherine talking quietly as if trying to keep Nick from overhearing. Looking at her in the dim light, I raised an eyebrow, hoping that she would continue – so that I wouldn’t have to ask. I didn’t want to alert Nick to the fact that he and I weren’t completely alone.

As I unzipped Nick’s pants, Catherine continued, “You’re planning to give him a world-class blowjob. Right here. Right now. To make up for how Amber treated him … mistreated him.”

I looked away. At times it was maddening, how well she knew me. But I did want Nick to know that not all women were like his ex. Some of us actually liked pleasing our partners orally.

Once I had his belt undone and his pants unsnapped, I started pulling, attempting to take his underwear down with them.

“Jessa, please,” he said, holding onto his pants with one hand while trying to lift me back to my feet with the other.

“Oh, but I want to,” I said, planting kisses on the tent before me.

“Not here,” Nick said more forcefully, lifting me up. Once I was on my feet, he went about securing his pants.

“Okay, two against one,” I said, finally realizing that it might not be the time nor the place.

I saw Nick glance around. Even though he’d never seen Catherine, he often looked for her.

“I’ll let you off the hook this time, but on one condition,” I continued. “In the future, no more trying to stop me. And next time … tomorrow night … I want it rough.”

“Rough?” he asked.

“Yes, I want you to take my head in your hands, both hands. And I want you to pound my face. Your cock … all the way into my throat. I’m tough. I can take it. I’ll slobber and likely gag, but even so, I love being used. So promise me.”

“Umm…” Nick responded. He sounded so uncertain.

“Promise me,” I repeated. “Either I’m doing you now, or you’re doing me tomorrow. Which will it be?”

He seemed taken aback. “You’d actually let me touch you … your head during a blowjob.”

“Of course.”

“I don’t know … maybe,” he said sheepishly.

“Nick, you’re not listening. I like it rough. I’m not Amber. Get it?”

Catherine was snickering next to me. “You most certainly are not Amber.”

“Feeling alive?” I asked her.

She nodded and kissed my cheek. “You have such a dirty mouth.”

“Amber didn’t allow me to touch her,” Nick explained. “Not during a blowjob.”

“I don’t give a shit about Amber!” That wasn’t entirely true, and yet I wanted what I wanted. Mostly for Nick, but I did get off on being manhandled. “You’ll need to get used to it. I’m going to be sucking you dry every chance I get.” I was doing my best to send a solid ‘I’m not Amber’ signal.

We turned and continued walking, hand in hand, only stopping once we were at Nick’s Jeep. I expected that there would be cars parked all along the road, but at least our driveway looked clear.

Nick needed to hurry, so after a kiss and telling each other ‘I love you’ one more time, he was off. As I imagined it, he had to have a serious case of blue balls, but that hadn’t been my intent.

Going inside, I found Mason, Keira, and a bunch of their friends in our living room.

“Still naked, I see,” Mason observed as I entered.

“Where’re mom and dad?” I asked.

“They drove grandma home. Left a few hours ago. They are staying over in New Hampshire tonight … booked a hotel. They told me to tell you that you and Nick can have their room tonight. They even changed the sheets for you.”

My mouth fell open. “You’re kidding. Mom … really?” It seemed so unlike her – giving me tacit permission to sleep with a lover.

“Yep. Keira and I … no such offer. I guess Nick is her favorite.”

I laughed. “I’m sure she likes Keira, too.” As Nick wouldn’t be spending the night, I thought of letting the two of them have the big bed, but then I had another idea.

Walking back to Bates Pond, I told Catherine that she and Dirk could use my parents’ room. I’d been trying to think of a place for Dirk to stay. As far as I knew, he had nowhere to go, so this was perfect – the three of us under one roof.

Shortly after 1:00am, I said goodnight to Catherine and Dirk and went to my own room. It was lonely climbing into my single bed, but I was happy. Dirk and Catherine – I’d seen the look in their eyes. They were still madly and deeply in love. I didn’t imagine that they could have sex, and yet I knew that they loved sleeping together.

Given my broken ribs, it took me a while to find a comfortable position, but eventually my thoughts drifted back over what had been a momentous day. The parade with Catherine by my side. And then the confrontation with her in the police station. I couldn’t believe that I had initially decided against putting on one of the vests. Indeed, I’d only gone back for it to keep my promise to Catherine. She been right about the killer’s son, but even so, I’d never felt as if I was in danger – not until she’d screamed and the bullet had knocked me off my feet.

I found myself again trying to recall my dream – the nightmare I’d had the night before. The blood-curdling scream was so vivid, but that was still all I could remember. Had I dreamed the rest – the gunman and all? Being shot? I didn’t know.

And then I was out. It had been a very exhausting day.

~ ~ ~

I awoke to kisses – big sloppy kisses – and scruffy whiskers.

“Nick, I’m going to tie you down and shave off that mustache,” I said, wrapping my arms around him as I opened my eyes. Only it wasn’t Nick. It was Mazzie, our lovable little Yorkie. She was on my bed, bathing my face with her tongue.

Enjoying the affection, I giggled, hugging her tight. I’d missed having her in bed with me.

“Mazzie?” I asked, suddenly sitting up in shock, still holding her to my breast.

“Mazzie, why are you inside?” I asked quietly, staring into her happy eyes.

Picking her up and carrying her, I raced out into the hall. “Catherine,” I yelled.

There was no answer. The door to my parents’ room was open. I looked in. The bed had been slept in, but no one was there.

“Catherine. Dirk,” I called repeatedly, going from room to room.

I found Dirk downstairs, sitting at the kitchen table. He was bent over, staring straight down into what looked to be an empty coffee cup. He glanced up as I entered, Mazzie still in my arms. Our eyes met.

“She’s gone, isn’t she?”

He forced a smile, but then gave a slight nod, returning his attention to the cup.

My knees went weak. If it hadn’t been for the doorframe, I’d have fallen. Seconds later, I stumbled out the front door, collapsing on the stairs. Mazzie was again licking my face. “There was nothing to be scared of, little girl,” I told her. “Never anything to be scared of.”

A minute later, I stood back up. Carrying Mazzie, I made my way back to Bates Pond. I needed to think. Was it really over? Would I never see Catherine? Not ever again? Was she gone for good? At least I’d said goodbye to her – maybe not the night before – but at one time in the past. I couldn’t recall the time or the details, but I knew I had checked that box.

Bates Pond was a disaster. The tall grass had all been trampled flat and there was garbage everywhere. The party itself had been real – that was more than evident.

Glancing around, I tried to pick out the spot where I’d first seen Catherine. Thinking back to the spring day my eyes had first fallen upon the see-thru beauty who had become my dear friend, I wandered over and sat down – naked-me sitting approximately where naked-Cathers had been.

Setting Mazzie down, I hugged my knees. Tears filled my eyes. They weren’t sad tears. They also weren’t happy tears. Just tears – the tears I had been expecting all along. But I’d survive. I couldn’t see her, but I knew in my heart that Catherine was there with me – in spirit.

Jessa Meets Her Match

Chapter 21: In Conclusion

Two days later, we made use of the Greta Van Fleet concert tickets that had been Catherine’s gift from her older sister. Nick was at my side, and Grandma Patty stood in for Catherine as Dirk’s date. I passed out candy necklaces as we waited in line, and the four of us wore them throughout the concert. My connection to Catherine felt stronger when I had one on. The seats were wonderful and we had a nice time even though we were all missing Catherine. All in all, it was a bitter sweet experience.

“At least this way, I can stay dressed,” I remarked to Nick early in the concert.

He smiled and nodded. “But I know you. You don’t want to. And this is Vermont, so you don’t have to.”

I elbowed him in the gut playfully, wondering who was going to miss the nudity more –me or Nick?

In the week that followed, Dirk was offered a position as a security guard with a local company that operated a small chain of self-storage facilities in and around southern Vermont. They had reached out to him in the days after the Fourth of July. His confidence and cool manner as well as the notoriety that had resulted from alerting the police to the presence of a gunman on the roof of the library were serving him well.

I was happy for him. There was no way to make up for the decades he’d lost, but it seemed as if no one might ever again question his mental stability or whether he had actually committed the crime that he’d been accused of.

Rather than putting grandma’s house on the market, I moved in. It seemed fitting. It could be my home, at least I was going to give that a try. The rest of my family had returned to Arizona, so I needed a place to live. I would be traveling two weeks a month, on average, but the rest of my time I’d be in Stonefield – near Nick.

Even though we spent most of my nights in Vermont together, Nick and I had yet to have a serious discussion about consolidating down to one house. For the present, we were happy to be in love. There was no need to hurry any decisions.

~ ~ ~

A few months later, in the middle of October, we laid Catherine to rest, marking her spot in the cemetery with the granite memorial stone her family had made all those years ago.

I rode to the service in the hearse, sitting between my grandmother and my mother, the urn that contained Catherine’s ashes on my lap. My grandmother had felt that the honor belonged to me. I was glad. It seemed like quite a responsibility, and yet, even though I knew it would sound selfish if I said it out loud, I didn’t want anyone else to be in charge of transporting her earthly remains to her final resting place.

My grandmother as well as my parents had been very supportive when I had announced that morning my intention of attending the funeral service nude.

“Is it because you think you’ll get to see Catherine?” my mother had asked.

Maybe I held out a sliver of hope, but I answered her truthfully. “No. I won’t see her. But this is how I show my support. Cathers died naked and spent the next forty years wandering the earth without a stitch. I cut my hair to match hers … as a show of support. Today, I take off my clothes … again, to show my support.”

Even though the media was there in full force, I climbed boldly out of the large, black limousine, wearing a candy necklace, nothing more. I had the all-important urn hugged to my chest. Not because it hid my boobs, it didn’t. Held there, it was close to my heart.

There had been a negotiation. In exchange for the media’s agreement to stay away from the memorial service itself, I had offered to answer questions when the funeral had concluded.

I walked right by them – and on past a line of law enforcement officers, all standing respectfully at attention – through the cemetery gates, and made my way to the family plot. A seat, a folding chair, had been reserved for me, front and center. Just as in the hearse, I was between my mother and my grandmother. The rest of the family was all nearby, Dirk and Nick seated just behind me.

I smiled at the minister, but he did not smile back. Studying him, I decided that he was struggling to not look at the naked woman in the front row.

After his opening remarks, upon his signal, I got up and walked forward, carrying the urn. Conscious of which way I was facing, I turned before bending. Just because I’d chosen to attend naked didn’t mean those around me needed to be forced to see the Glory Be as I stooped to place Catherine’s remains into the below-ground vault.

Carefully, so as not to be seen, I slipped something into the vault next to the urn. It was a candy necklace, still in its wrapper. I’d kept it hidden between my hand and the ceramic pot since climbing into the hearse that morning. Catherine loved candy necklaces, but as a ghost, she’d never been able to put one on. It was my hope that the rules for angels were different – that in heaven, she’d be able to wear it.

Once that was done, I stepped to the podium to make my remarks.

“On March 20, in the year of our Lord 2000, my father drove my mother to the county hospital, just beyond those trees,” I said pointing. “Hours later, weighing seven pounds, five ounces, I came into this world.

“Little did I know that forty years earlier, to the day, in that very same hospital, my great-grandmother had also delivered a baby girl, naming her Catherine. She had a happy life, full of love, but sadly, when she was just twenty-five, the age I am now, she met an untimely end. You all know the story. My point is that even though Catherine and I never shared this earth, we did share something … a birthday.

“Thanks to Tracy Adams, first lady of Vermont,” I continued, nodding deferentially in her direction in the fourth row, “…I have come to understand the significance of our birthday. Known as the Pisces-Aries Cusp, it’s an important day in the zodiac calendar. As such, both Catherine Marshall and I have … had … two opposing forces within us … the contemplative side of Pisces battling against the Aries urge to go to war.”

From there, I summarized for everyone all that I had learned about the astrological significance of the day upon which Catherine and I were born. I still didn’t imagine that I believed in Astrology, and yet something amazing had happened in my life that summer. I was no longer willing to rule anything out.

I continued, “But in addition to our auspicious birthday, Catherine and I shared an adventure this summer. And I grew to love her … more than my mastery of the English language allows me to convey. She did not deserve what befell her on that night in 1985. All the other victims of the monster that took her life … the same goes for them as well.”

I was getting choked up, but I pressed on. “I’ve never been a religious person. I don’t own a bible and I believe I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I’ve set foot in a church. But this summer has changed me. I’m a different person … entirely. I still don’t know if there is a God, but there is something… I will say this: I believe in Angels. Because Catherine, my best friend … she’s now an Angel … she’s in heaven. Of that, I am absolutely certain.”

“So, wherever you are. Catherine, hear this. I love you. And, I know we will meet again. Of that, I am also certain.”

I took my seat, allowing others the chance to say their farewells.

Upon the conclusion of what turned out to be a beautiful service under gorgeous New England fall skies, I strode boldly to where the media vans were patiently waiting. Except for my candy necklace, I was nude. Nick, holding my hand, accompanied me. I’d asked him to.

Stepping in front of a group of microphones that had been arranged on a single post, missing the concealing aspects of an actual podium, I again started talking.

“First, I have a few prepared remarks, and then I’ll take your questions,” I began.

The reporters waited patiently for me to continue. Looking from face to face, I could tell that they were predisposed to give me all the time I needed. It was, after all, a very solemn occasion.

“This was an amazing summer, to say the least,” I continued. “But all along, I have been hiding the truth. There have been rumors, plenty of them, but at this juncture, I’d like for what really happened to be known. Much too much credit has gone to me. That was never my intent. I did play a significant role in the capture of the Junkyard Killer, I won’t deny that. But it is my great aunt, Catherine Marshall, who broke the case wide open. Indeed, she solved her own murder. Without her involvement…” My voice trailed off. I wiped a tear using the back of my hand.

Looking over at Nick, I started on a new tack. “Officer Nick Harris will confirm all that I am about to tell you. In 1985, Catherine was grabbed on a bridge in Stonefield. With a knife held to her neck, she was carried down a stairway and forced into a car trunk. Sadly, that was the beginning of the end for her. Days later, welded inside a different trunk, she took her final breath. Her mortal life ended, but her time on planet earth didn’t.

“Fast forward to this year, she directed Nick and me to Earl’s Auto Salvage located north along Post Road. It’s an eerie abandoned place, closed to the public since 2002. Had Catherine not taken us there, none of what ensued would have happened. The serial killer would still be adding quietly to his tally. Once on the premises, Catherine Marshall, her ghost, led us to the trunk containing her bones. The weld, it was still there, bearing silent witness to the grisly actions of a coldhearted killer. And the salvage yard contained other cars … other cars that had trunks that had also been welded shut. It was a horrifying experience, to say the least. With those discoveries, any lingering doubts that either of us might have had … that this apparition was indeed Catherine Marshall … vanished.”

I paused, glancing over at Nick. Even though I was no longer angry about it, I couldn’t help but recall how it had felt to be abandoned naked in that godforsaken place. Returning my attention to the reporters, I saw that they seemed to be waiting patiently, respectfully allowing me to continue in my own time.

From there, I went on to relate a concise version of all that happened during June. Just one month, that was all it had taken – one whirlwind month.

I then jumped back in time to talk about how I had met Catherine upon exiting the pond nude one beautiful spring day. I told them how scared I had been when I’d first noticed a semi-transparent woman seated on the grass. How surprised she had been as well. How I’d struggled with the reality of needing to be nude to be able to see and talk with her. How she and I had played Rock, Paper, Scissors to convince Nick that what I was telling him was in fact true.

I went on to explain how it had taken the efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies to locate the suspect, but then I described in some detail how Catherine had overseen the actual arrest. How what had seemed risky to those observing had in fact been relatively safe. How I hadn’t needed a bulletproof vest because we’d had a ghost watching the gunman and communicating to me his every move.

Concluding that story, I mentioned quickly how Catherine and I, again working in tandem, had secured Dirk’s release from the institution where he had been unjustly confined – for a crime a jury had found him not guilty of having committed.

“And then the final chapter,” I said. “The Fourth of July. I couldn’t understand why Catherine was still in limbo, still stuck between two worlds. Well, I now know the answer. Destiny. Fate. She’d had one more important duty to fulfill … that of saving my life. As you all know, late that morning I was struck by a bullet. I was wearing a bulletproof vest … for one reason and one reason only … because she asked me to. I wasn’t scared of anything. I’m the woman with bulletproof breasts, remember?

“Well, Catherine was of a different mind. She was worried. She had no real information, but her gut told her that the killer’s son was up to something. Initially, I told her that I wouldn’t wear the vest … that there was no reason for me to. But later, I reconsidered. Fortunately…”

I passed a hand over the area of my chest where the bruise had been. It was no longer sore. As a matter of fact, all visible evidence that I’d been shot had long since faded.

I continued, “And that’s pretty much it. I stand before you today as living proof that ghosts exist. One ghost, anyway. I’ve never seen another, nor had Catherine. So that’s the story. At first, I didn’t think that anyone would believe me. But that was never the point. From the beginning, it was always about solving a murder. So the decisions that I made, that the three of us made – for Nick was a full-fledged member of the team – were always about that. And today, I’m simply telling the truth. If you don’t believe me, that’s fine. Your choice. The killer and his son, both of them are behind bars. That’s what matters.

“Catherine and I … it was a bumpy road at times. I have the deepest respect for her. I grew to love her dearly. Together we accomplished great things. But that’s not to say that the road we traveled was not difficult. We did have a falling out or two along the way. I will miss her, every hour of every day, until we meet again, for I’m sure we will.” I paused, taking a deep breath. “Okay … questions?”

I looked over at Nick. He smiled supportively. Glancing back, I saw that there were hands in the air. I pointed at one of the reporters and listened as she spoke.

~ ~ ~

 

 

Author’s note: If you read and (hopefully) enjoyed Jessa Meets Her Match, I would love to hear from you! You may comment here on the storyboard (as ‘anonymous’ or register and give yourself a name, any name). Alternately, feel free to send me an email. Even if it has been months or even years since these chapters were posted, I would still enjoy hearing from you. My email:
BPClavel@gmail.com
Very best regards,
Blair P. Clavel

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